Another cup of marriage
by StrangeLittleSwirl
Summary: Holmes proposes to Lestrade, then disapears 4 six months. Unfortunetly for Holmes, his fiance always gets her man! Beth's POV
1. Default Chapter

Aoy a-aa-oa, idont owna thing so donta suea mea! Dayo dayoo-o-oowa, don't sue my pant's cause youwillnot get a thing!   
  
  
  
But the rain didn't feel cold any more.   
  
  
  
  
  
"Not having a good day, Lestrade?" Holes said calmly as I entered the room.   
"Let me guess, the sound of me huffing gave it away?" I snapped. "That's not hard to deduce."   
"Well, now that you inturupted my solitude, tell me why you are under the weather?"   
"In more ways than one." I shook beads of water out of my hair. Raining cats and dogs outside. "Why can't some people get that I don't want to have a relationship?"   
"Well, many reasons. Tea?" He offered. Those chairs in front of the fire were close. Too close. And where was Watson? Not home, evidently.   
"Sure. Now could you explain this to me?" I sat crossed-legged in the chair. Yes, these chairs were set up to be extremely close.   
"First of all, no ring. Second, you *are* a woman. It's in your makeup. Third, a brain. Fourth, well, first on any person meeting you for the first time," he looked down. " I can see how some men could find you . ah, . . attractive."   
"Well, thank you, I guess." My cheeks felt warm. "But when I say no, they just don't get it."   
"Rawls, isn't it?" Holmes asked slyly.   
"Yes, explain, please."   
"I simply had seen him looking at you in that sort of way. Bachelor or not, I am who I am."   
"Well, I can't see romance helping in my career. I learned that quite early. What about you, you must have met someone you were head over heals for." This conversation seemed to have been steered in this direction.   
"I never fell in love with any real person, just this girl I always saw in my dreams." Holmes was blushing and had begun to talk quietly. He must have expected an uncomforable moment coming soon.   
"And? What did she look like?"   
"Um, dark hair with a light streak. Blue eyes. Must I go on, Lestrade?"   
I suddenly felt the whole heat of the fireplace on me, and looked down at my cup. How interesting tea dregs could be. "So you're saying that the girl in your dreams was . . me?"   
"Yes." it came out from the back of his throat for some reason.   
We sat for a quarter of an hour in silence, staring at the fire. Finally, he looked at my tea cup on the small table.   
"Would you like another cup of marriage?" He blurted out loud.   
I turned and looked at him. "What?"   
Holmes' eyes grew wide. He stood up, grabbed my cup and hurried into the kitchen. For five minutes I sat brooding over what he had just said.   
"It's now or never." I said under my breathe and walked into the kitchen.   
"Listen, about before, L-" He started apologeticly.   
"Yes." I was glad it came out better than I felt inside.   
"Yes?" Holmes looked at me in disbelief.   
I nodded. "I would love to, Sherlock." Using his first name drove the point across.   
He looked down. "That wasn't supposed to happen that way. I had a speach ready, I suppose I forgot it. Quite strange, if you ask me."   
"If it came from anyone but you, it would be. " I smiled at him. We had another pause in the conversation.   
"When?" I asked as we walked into the other room.   
"Whenever you want." He smiled. "This is new to both of us, Beth."   
All this time we had been able to keep composure. Holmes kissed me. If it weren't for his arms around me, I probably would have ended up on the floor from my legs turning to jelly.   
We stood like that for a while.   
"Who would have ever thought?" I whispered to him.   
"I don't know." He whispered back. "I thought you might like this. It's the ring."   
"I don't even want it."   
He looked at me flabbergasted. "WHy?"   
"Because I love *you*, not the you that the public sees, or your money. If it means that much to you, I'll wear it."   
He didn't take his eyes off me as he put it on my ring finger. "This has been in my family for many, many years. Every Holmes women who wore it had a long and healthy marriage. I'd be honored if you'd wear it."   
I kissed Sherlock. "It's me who's honored."   
He smiled at me. That was something he just didn't do that much. "I love you, Beth Lestrade."   
"I love you, too, Sherlock Holmes."   
With another quick kiss, I was on my way to work again.   
But the rain didn't feel cold anymore.   
  
  
*********************************************************************   
Who likes fluff? I do! I have to say this isn't my best, but good. Any flames will go to Raven Black's fireplace (don't ask!)   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"She's glowing." An office member said matter-of-factly as I entered the office.   
"I am *not* glowing!" I shot back at him. White was a jerk, but was it that obvious?   
There wasn't much to do, just a few papers. My mind just kept wondering back to this afternoon. It was amazing how my entire future could change over a lunch break.   
The beeping of my vidphone woke me from my reverie.   
"Hello?" I asked.   
"Hello." Sherlock was on the other side. "I need to talk to you."   
"Sure, when?"   
"Now would be good."   
"Fine I'll see you the soonest I can. Bye." Finishing one last paper, I cupped my chin with my left hand. The feeling of the metal on my cheek reminded me of every wonderful thing that had happened between us. When they had happened, I guessed I had brushed aside any possible chance of anything happening between us. And now, here I was-   
"Hello, Beth." I turned and grimaced as I saw Rawls sitting on my desk. "I was wondering if you," he pointed at me with attempted suave, "wanted to have dinner with me?"   
"I'm sorry, I can't." I put on a look of fake remorse.   
"What? You're going home to read those journals? Comeon, we'll have fun."   
I glared at him. "There's not even the remote chance that I could."   
Rawls looked me over, them his eyes settled at my chin. "And when did you get that? Even you should know that engagment rings or wedding rings go on that finger, not just any ring."   
"It's were it's supposed to be."   
"Well, congradulations!" That was said dripping with sarcasm. "Whose the lucky man?"   
I smirked at him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"   
With that, I left a gaping Rawls as I left the building.


	2. Gone

Everything went wonderful for a while. No one knew about us, altough I has started to stay for dinner more frequently at Baker Street and vice versa.  
And then it all stopped.  
  
I was going on my way to Holmes' house, and noted that the lights were off inside.  
On entering, I saw that everything looked left in haste.  
"Holmes? Watson?"  
I gasped when I entered the kitchen. Watson was shut down.  
"Watson! What happened?" I said as I turned his power back on.  
"I. I don't know. Holmes just said that he was going." He turned slowly and looked at me. "He also said that he was sorry, he didn't mean to hurt you. What did he mean by that?"  
"I don't know." I said quickly.  
We headed back to work, a unsettling silence between us.  
  
And so it went on this way, for half a year. Watson started to live at my house. My cleaning got done a lot quicker. I would go by Baker Street everyday, but nothing ever changed. All of his things, including his deerstalker and iverness.  
I lost a lot of weight, and I stopped carring about things as much. I had no sympathy for the people that I arrested, and I became cold and uncaring.  
Then the tech lab did it. They were able to find a way to go back in time. When I started to think about it, I thought that Sherlock might have gone back in time. One night I snuck in and closed my eyes. I typed in a random number, hoping that it was right.  
"Sherlock Holmes, I'm not letting you get away that easily, ' I said before hitting the button .. . 


	3. Tears

I opened my eyes, finding myself in a carriage infront of Baker Street. Beth, I said to myself, don't ever let yourself fall for a nineteenth-century gentleman ever again.  
The carriage stopped, and the driver helped me out. Fortunetly, Holmes had taught me about the Victorian currency, so I was able to pay the cabdriver without looking brain-dead.  
I had no idea what I was doing, but I had a feeling I would find him here.   
With one last look at myself, dressed in black, complete with veil, I hid my face and hands. Better not let him know who I am.  
As I knocked on the door, I felt nervous.  
"May I help you?" A stout women asked. She looked like the kind that woulld be a great grandmother.  
"Yes," I took a long shot. "Does a Mr. Vernet live here?"  
"Aye, that he does."  
"I need to speak with him immediatly, please."  
SHe showed me in, and up a flight of stairs. So this was what this place looked like then, not bad.   
"Here you go, Mr. Vernet is still probably sleepin' like a baby." A far away look came into her eyes. "Just like another tenant here."  
Sniffling, she left and I stared around the room. It gave off a Holmes-ish type of feeling. Something caught my attention at the window. A man, a very suspicious looking man, was standing on the street in a frumpy coat. Yard instincts told me this guy was no good.  
"May I help you, madame?" A impatient voice said from behind.  
It was Sherlock. Although he had put glasseson and died his hair brown, he was him.  
"Oh, yes," I put on a slight Spanish accent,"my fiancee, Edmond Dantes, was a friend of yours."  
"I'm sorry Miss, but I haven't the faintest clue of who you are talking about." He said even more impatiently.  
"Oh, Vernet, I didn't know you had a guest, I'll-" a voice, much like Watson's, said from the door. When I turned I saw it looked like him.   
"No, no, Watson,"he said, planting a hand on my shoulder, I was just showing this clearly mistaken women the door."  
"No, Holmes!" I turned, him backing toward the window on surprise. "I won't leave, I-"  
Somehow, I heard the man on the street place his gun into the position, it was a faint click, far away.  
"You must cle-" Holmes never finished his sentence. I stepped infront of him, as a bullet shattered the glass and entered my back. I clung to him for support, the hat falling off and my face exposed.  
It felt like fire going through every part of my body. I had never felt such a searing hot pain like that bullet. I couldn't stand, I sunk to the floor.  
"Beth," he whispered. "Why did you try to find me?"  
"Because," I grimaced. It was getting harder to breathe and talk at the same time, "I love you. I wanted to know why you left."  
"I didn't want *this* to happen, that's why. Oh Beth I-"  
"Shh, Sherlock, you did what you thought was right." We were silent. "Sherlock, this is rather funny, I don't see any light. I'm just going to close my eyes, alright?"  
"No, Beth," I felt a tear on my face. He held my up to his face and kissed me tenderly. "Don't do this."  
The last word I heard were "I love you." 


	4. I do

"Beth," a faint voice called, it got stronger, "Beth please, don't die. "  
My eyes flickered and I saw Sherlock with his head down. I squeezed his hands. "It takes more than that to get rid of me, you know," I said weakly.  
His look of relief melted any doubts of how he felt for me. He sat up and took me in his arms and kissed me. He sobbed.  
"Hey, isn't that *my* part?"  
"Not in this case. I nearly lost the only thing worth living for; you Beth."  
I finally was waking up, and was aware of other people in the room. Watson and a woman I thought was his life.   
"Sherlock, you just did something no man of this time would ever do. Are you alright with that?" I asked him incredulously.  
He looked at the two others, than back at me. "Yes," he said, before kissing me again.  
Watson cleared his throat, and Holmes staightened up. "I've been in the future for too long, Watson, I've lost my manners. Let me introduce my fiance Ms. Elizabeth Lestrade to you." The pride in his voice was the greatest I had ever heard.  
"You don't mean she's a relative of Inspector Lestrade?" He cried.  
"One and the same, in fact, her title is *Inspector* Beth Lestrade."   
"Amazing! To think women not having jobs in the future is strange, and not vice versa!" I guessed that Sherlock had told them about me and where I came from. He looked warmly at me. "You're the first women to ever catch his fancy that I know of."  
"She's the *only* women that has and will catch my fancy. Beth, I was thinking. The second we get back home, let's get married."  
Watson and his wife started edging for the door, closing it behind them.   
"Sherlock!" I cried,"You must be joking!"  
"Not at all, Beth. Moriarty seems to have an interest in you that isn't to my liking, and-"  
"You're already getting defensive? Wow, you must really love me!"  
He gave me one of those grins that made me feel faint. "You know I do, but as I was saying, if we do it then he'll be out of luck."  
I looked at him. I could see he was serious, and I knew he wasn't doing this to protect me. He truly, truly, loved me.  
I nodded and finaly managed a small 'yes'.  
"Alright," he kissed my forehead, "I'll have Mrs. Watson come in and help you get changed into something other than that gown. It was the only thing they could quickly put on you because I refused to leave your side. I turned around with Watson."  
"Thank you," I said meekly when he went to leave. He paused.  
"For what?"  
"Loving me."  
"Thank you for saving my life. By the way, you're baffling Watson."  
"Why?"  
"The way that bullet entered your body and the loss of blood; anyone else would have died."  
I smiled at him. "I still had plans, I couldn't die yet."  
  
  
  
  
I recouperated quickly, and Holmes and I were off to New London. It wasn't hard. I programmed it for the exact second after I left. We snuck out, and headed for the cruiser.  
On the way to a church, we picked up Wiggins and Deidre. At first surprised to see their employer, they just gaped.  
"Oh come on you two!" My fiance said impatiently. "We don't have all day!"  
"What's this all aybout, Mr. 'Olmes?" Deidre asked.  
"Yeah, what *is* is this all about?" Wiggins said with his usual defensiveness ( a/n I know that's not spelled correctly!).  
"Sherlock, don't you think we should have taken a unmarked hovercar? Moriarty will track us in no time!" I cried at sudden realization.  
"Didn't think of that, Beth." The term of address caused Deidre and Wiggins to give each other side-long glances. Holmes was old-fashioned, and 19th century men only called a woman by her first name if she was a child or, in my case, a person of sentimental ties. "But it wont matter for very long, now, will it?"  
"Please! Tell us what's going on 'ere!" Deidre shrieked.  
"We need you to act as witnesses for something." I answered carefully.  
"For our marriage." Sherlock grabbed my left hand and showed them the engagement ring without even looking away from the road.  
Wiggins and Deidre burst out giggling, when they finally gained their composier, they explained that they always thought that we were "going to 'hook up'", as they said it.  
"You two were always flirting and all that rot!" Wiggins said, wiping a tear from laughing away from his eyes.  
"Were not!" Sherlock and I said at the same time.  
"Like I told you, they're perfect for each other." Deidre said as if finishing a conversation she had been having only with Wiggins.  
Once we reached the church, everything happened fast. The next thing I knew I was standing on the alter being asked by the priest if I would marry Sherlock.  
And then I said the two most trusting words that anyone could ever say, and I said them without hesitation.   
"I do."  
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Oh, I worked sooo hard on this! Keep an eye out for the sequal, "Hey Dad!"! Beth has to tell her dad about why she's moving onto Baker street. 


End file.
